


The Wires Got The Best of Him

by ominous_softie



Category: Mr. Robot (TV)
Genre: Dissociative Identity Disorder, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Multi, Post-Canon, Protective Siblings, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22366405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ominous_softie/pseuds/ominous_softie
Summary: Post finale imagine. Self indulgence, basically.The Aldersystem goes to therapy and try to navigate life post series with the help of Darlene, Krista, Leon and Dom.Our Elliot is given a name 'cause mastermind makes me laugh.
Relationships: Darlene Alderson/Dominique DiPierro
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42





	1. Float - EDEN

**Author's Note:**

> Elephant in the room: Krista is cleary not a DID specialist, she probably would've reffered Elliot to an expert of this complex disorder. BUT Elliot would have to build trust with a new psychiatrist and I like Krista. You know what? I'm the writer, playing God without permission. Lets just say she's researched and consulted and leave it at that.
> 
> Work title from the very fitting song Wires by The Neighbourhood. Chapter titles will be named after songs from my MR playlist.

"I didn't know he could look like me. We share a brain and body but it never occured to me" 

Across her office, Krista reminds "Mr Robot looks like a person he's not"

Elliot looks at her briefly before explaining "yeah. But the other one, the other me, it was like looking into a mirror. A depressed mirror."

Krista nods understandingly, ignoring the use of almost self depricating humour.

"My new friend Leon calls mirrors 'leaks'" Elliot adds in weak attempt at divergence.

Krista, always keeping on track asks "how about telling me how Darlene has been reacting to this recent change?"

"She doesn't seem all that fussed. Said she missed me, and she knew it wasnt me. The me she grew up with. Are me and the other really all that different?"

"You said he only split off around a year ago?" She awaits Elliot's confirming nod before continuing. "Before then, he was you, or at least an intergrated part of you. That's why he has all your life's memories. He experienced everything as you. Only when he split off from you did he become an individual capable of his own experiences. Alters arent born out of nothing, Elliot."

Elliot glances away, contemplating.

"How do the others in your system refer to the Elliot I know?" She cant help the creeping curiosity in her voice.

"Kid doesn't mind him. Calls him Other Elliot. The mom one doesn't give a shit, she never talks about him."

"Its common for persecutors to not show much interesting in the development and wellbeing of the system. How about Mr Robot?"

"Oh, he calls him the Mastermind, which is a dumb fuckin name. He hates it. But they seem to have reached a mutal understadning. They dont fight like what i saw."

Krista prompts "when they allowed you to access memories of the previous year, yes?" 

"Yeah," he doesn't elaborate, swerving away from the truth of what said year entailed. Instead he suggests "I think we should give the new guy a name. A proper name. Mr Robot's been here since i can remember, but this guy thought he was me. I dont know how he feels about all this. He's quiet."

"Has he fronted at all since you've been back?" Krista inquires.

"Once. I went to sleep, woke up the next day already dressed and with a dog," the side of Elliots lips twitches upwards for an almost unoticable second.

Michael Hansen was the least intense part of her year, so Krista has no problem discussing Other Elliot's related crime, "the same dog he stole?"

"Yeah, Flipper. He got her back from my landlord. He really likes her, i think." 

"Have you asked him about it?" Again, she thinks but doesn't say why she believes Other Elliot seems to have such a connection with flipper.

"He isnt co-conscious much", Elliot admits. "Can barely get a minute away without Mr Robot though."

"Why do you think thats the case?" Krista queried.

In response to ambiguity, "about Him or Mr Robot?"

"Either," both admitedly intrigue her.

"I think Mr Robot's just keeping an eye on me, making sure I'm handling being back. The other... I don't know. He's comes from all my pain and anger, right? I don't think i would be too talkaltive either. He's not me anymore. I don't know what he thinks," Elliot explains, almost defeatedly.

Krista nods, jotting the juicy stuff down on her notepad. She glances up at her clock.

"Thats the end of our time. I'm glad you decided to keep seeing me."

"They all trust you. Why shouldn't I?"

♤♡◇♧

Elliot closes the door behind him, leaning back on it and sighing deeply. Hosting all day, every day, as he's starting to remember, can be exhausting.

Flipper runs up to him giddily. To her, she's the same Elliot he's always been. He crouches down to give her pats. She is cute, even having started to grow on Mr Robot. The kid loves her too, of course. It could be nice having a pet. Elliot tries not to think of the close escape of Moonpie the kitten.

Mr Robot glances at him from the couch, where hes sat back, one leg propped on top of the other, arms outstretched. To Elliot's surprise, 'mastermind' is perched beside him, taking up less space, head tilted down, black hood up.

"Shes nice, ain't she?" Mr Robot grins. They knew he was at Krista's.

'Mastermind' looks up at this, not even trying to hide his intrigue.

"You can talk to her next time, if you like. I know you like her," Elliot offers.

'Masterminds' eyes widen at him, likely suprised Elliot is even allowing him to exist in the same space.

He supplies a meek "thanks"

Mr Robot takes this moment to slap his legs and stand, filling the new silence, soon accompanied by his voice "right. I'm gunna leave you to it, kiddos." He strolls out of Elliot's line of sight.

"Maybe i should-" starts 'mastermind' before Elliot blurts out his train of thought.

"Do you want a name?"

At the Others puzzled look, Elliot elaborates "an actual one."

"Mr Robot doesnt have one," the Other points out.

"He's used to it by now," Elliot half jokes.

"I get it. I'm not Elliot. Not anymore. And if Mr Robot calls me matermind one more fucking time-"

"How about Sam?" Elliot interupts.

"Huh?" Is accompanied by the same puzzled look as before.

Elliot explains "you know. Like Sam Sepiol."

"Oh. That's- that could work?" The Other glances off to the left, mind occupied with consideration. 

To further explain, Elliot states "Darlene's girlfriend made me promise not to do anything too illegal. We're still coders, but-"

"Hacking days are over", the newly named Sam finishes, "Message recieved."

Elliot, without any topic of conversation, makes his way towards the bed, pulling his sweater off as he goes. By the time he turns back around, Sam is gone.


	2. Silk - Wolf Alice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darlene and Dom visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a shit day so this is bad and short but its something

Elliot turns over in bed, groaning, as the front door trembles with a sturdy and repetative knock.

"Elliot? You in there" calls Darlene.

The handle turns, door unlocked, as Darlene lets herself in at Elliots unresponsiveness. Behind her follows Dom.

Darlene walks further into the apartment, lightly kicking the end of Elliot's mattress. 

"Dude, its past noon"

Elliot relecutantly sits up, running his hand through scruffy bed hair. "Yeah,"  
he doesn't explain. 

Dom swivles her head to glance at Elliot's kitchenette before adressing him "you want a coffee?"

"Please," he leans back against his wall, eyes still drooping. Flipper, previously asleep on the pillow next to him, climbs into his lap, resettling. Elliot runs his hand gently through her soft hair.

Whilst Dom makes coffee, Darlene plops herself next to Elliot on the matress.  
"Rough night?" She prompts.

Elliot shrugs, "thinking about how the interview is gunna go," he informs. He applied for a cybersecurity gig, he only distantly recalls Allsafe, and then Ecorp of all places, so his nerves of finding a new job has taken over now that hes back to hosting. The excitement thing didnt work out, so now his name is a 'normal' life. 

Darlene rolls her eyes, "you'll do fine."

As if reading his mind, she adds "was that all?"

Dom approaches, handing them each a coffee before settling on the end of the bed. 

Since Dom returned from Budapest and her and Darlene started up an actual relationship, the 3 of them had fallen into a comfortable co existance. Elliot liked her, she has a good head on her shoulders, a gentle kindness, but stubbonness and confidence to match even Darlene's. Even Sam had barely interacted with Dom, so they all have the change to get to know her better. Anyway, he's tired of hiding.

"He was here last night. The other me."

Darlene looks at him with intrigue, Dom with confused curiosity. 

Darlene had given Dom a basic and vague discription of Elliot's disorder, but no one isntantly understands how it works, and the facination is unmissable.

"Oh. Is he... is he okay?" Worries Darlene.

"I don't know," he admits, "it's hard to tell"

Darlene sighs a laugh before agreeing "yeah, he was never one to talking about his feelings. I guess that's what your therapist is for, right?"

Elliot starts running his hand through Flipper's fur again, not knowing quite how to say "i gave him a name"

"You did?"

Dom chose to ask "he didn't have one already?"

Elliot shakes his head, "he thought he was me"

Darlene asks "What did you go for?" 

"Sam"

Darlene grins "as in Sepiol?" At Elliot's shrug, "well, it's an actual name at least."

Dom, Elliot is begining to realise, has a tendency to ask whatever comes to mind, so its not exactly unexpected when she asks "How many of them are there?"

"4. But, aside from me, mostly Mr Robot fronts," he adds for Dom's benefit "he's the one that did 5/9 with Sam"

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly causes DID?"

Elliot takes a sip of Coffee, then stares into his mug. "Trauma," he barely audibly rasps. His hand stills in Flipper's fur. He continues staring into a mug before slowly looking up and uncharacteristically making eye contact with Dom.

"That was a ballsy move," lightly states Mr Robot.

Taken aback, Dom glances at Darlene. Darlene makes eye contact with Mr Robot before announcing "what are you doing here, Fuckface?"

"Nice to see you too, Darlene"

"Whats..." Dom trails off.

Darlene turns back to face her, putting a hand on her leg, "Dom, meet Mr Robot"

Mr Robot grins at her before explaining " Elliot can't come to the phone right now"

Dom is at a loss for words, her lips slightly parted in silent reply. There was no distinct change. No puff of smoke. Just like that Elliot was gone and Mr Robot was here.

Darlene's face tenses with sudden concern. "Why did he leave?"

Mr Robot's expression turns more grim. "I don't think it was intentional," he sighs, "he's bad at talking about that kinda stuff. He shuts down."

"I'm sorry, shouldnt have asked," Dom says regretfully. 

Mr Robot flails his hands in the air, "'T'sokay. We're working on it. He cant hide forever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell i enjoy dialogue? 
> 
> Next time: Sam talks to Krista
> 
> Hope you enjoyed.


	3. Who Are You, Really? - Mikky Ekko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam talks to Krista, A shitty attempt at writing Leon and gratuitous mentions of Flipper. Why? Because i love her.

"I woke up in a server room. It was dark besides all these blinking lights on the servers. It was sorta cold in there. But i found a door and outside was a corridor. It was real quiet, made my shoes loud when i walked to the other door. Anyways, from another corridor i found the other rooms i know inside. It jist made me wonder how many more places their are. If its more than just this building. How vast can it be inside our head?"

Sam was already fronting when he arrived at Krista's, and although she didnt express such, she was glad to see him. She's here to help the whole system, and right now she thinks it apropriate to gauge how Sam is coping. It was odd for her, calling him Sam, as she had always know him as Elliot, but once he explained of course it made sense.

Krista looks across the room at Sam before answering "many systems have big shared buildings, but space can span whole cities and beyond. Often alters choose what the want or need, or are familiar with, consciously or not. Some sytems may not have an inner world at all."

Sam looks of to the side as he nods.

"How do you feel about no longer hosting?" Krista inquires.

"Okay, i guess. I don't deserve to host. I never should have been the one in control."

Krista prompts "what do you mean by that?"

Sam massages one hand with the other and glances back at Krista briefly before raising his shoulders in a week shrug.

"Elliot was gone for a year. Darlene came back to see him but i was there. I took that from him. I exist to help him but if anything i made it worse for him," Sam looks down at his lap.

Krista sighs, supressing her frown, "Sam, to no fault of your own, you were unaware of your disorder and the fact you, as you put it, weren't supposed to host. That doesn't mean you were undeserving. You split due to Elliot's desire to fix the world, and you did what you saw as right to attempt to achieve that for him."

At Sam's lack of response, she continues "Elliot doesn't resent you for it, Sam. He understands what you were trying to do. Does fronting make you feel bad?"

Sam shrugs again, " Why take more of his time awake?"

" He told me you got Flipper back. Why is that?" 

"I missed her. And i thought she'd probably missed me too. Even if i myself werent there. Shes a dog, she can't tell the difference."

"Animals are shown to have positive affect on those with mental disorders and illnesses. Do you feel like she helps you?"

"She's good company. It's good to take care of her," he looks back at Krista, the corner of his mouth turning shyly upwards "and I like her fur."

Krista glances at the clock, "nefore you leave, i'd like to remind you it's always good to communicate. With your system, or with Darlene. You dont deserve to feel alone."

♤♡◇♧

After leaving Krista's, Sam's relief was palpible, though he couldnt quite articulate what he just let go.

With no sign of Elliot or the others, Sam dutifly makes his way home.

As he approaches the front steps of his apartment building, he spots a familiar face approaching from the other direction.

"Hey, cuz, i was just headin to see you," Leon grins and holds out his fist to Sam, "how you been?" 

Sam, reaching him, reciprocates the fist bump before inviting Leon in. 

♤♡◇♧

Though it was never intentional, since Sam first went to prison, Leon has grown on him more and more. Dark Army ordered or not, Leon has protected Sam fiercly and never turned his back on him. Nor is he bigoted or ignorant. His light and friendly demenor cheered Sam up without noticing, yet Leon was never overbearing or reaching the point of annoyance. He was, undeniably, a good friend to have.

That is how, Sam felt, he deserved to know Sam wouldn't be around all the time anymore. And thus he had explained to him his disorder and what it meant for him.

Leon reacts accordingly, "damn, cuz. Thats some intense shit right there." They both sat on the couch at comfortable talking distance. Sam nods his agreement as Flipper nudges her head against Leon's legs. 

"Hey, girl," he says, leaning down to rub behind her ears.

He twists his head up to look at Sam "So, I ain't never met Elliot Elliot?" At Sam's guilty expression he clarifies "Its cool, man. You're still my bro, you know?"

"Thanks," Sam allows a small smile to show.

Later, when Leon has left with the promise of staying in touch, Sam felt better and better with the idea that this was life now. This didnt have to be an end, just a change. 

When Elliot fronted again in the evening, Sam retreated back inside and found himself in the boardroom.

Mr Robot sat across from him, hand out on the table inbetween them, cigerette hanging from his lips.

"Hey, kiddo"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: We talkin about Angela so emotionally prepare yoself. 
> 
> As always, hope you

**Author's Note:**

> The DID key:  
> Host- the Alter who spends most time fronting  
> Core- usually the host. The one thats always been there/ others split off from.  
> Fronting- being in current control of the body  
> Co-Conscious- more than one alter aware of whats currently happening.  
> Spliting off- when an alter is 'born'/becomes seperate from the core
> 
> Disclaimer: i am NOT a DID expect, if you want to know more, go find DissociaDID on youtube.
> 
> I tried to use the American versions of words when i could.
> 
> Kilgore Trout from Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions calls mirrors leaks to other worlds, and Leon references it in canon. 
> 
> I couldnt think of a better name for Our Elliot, okay! He will always be Elliot in my heart but that aint gunna work post series. 
> 
> Moonpie the kitten is from a story in the Red Wheelbarrow book in case u havent read it (you should, its great)


End file.
